A Leg Lamp Tale
by Ominousmagic
Summary: Normalcy is something we all thrive off of. Initiating change is necessary, but letting go can be hard. Future fic.
1. Chapter 1

To Kate, the movies about Christmas in New York did the actual experience no justice. It was incredibly...innocent-for New York, anyway. The already effervescent lights seemed brighter-if that were even possible. The air was clear and smelled fresh. If you were just visiting for the holidays and you came back at any other time of the year, you wouldn't believe you were in the same place. It seemed that no matter where you were, you could hear the beat of Jingle Bells or other tunes echoing around the city. The streets were much more crowded but the people were more festive. Some wore green and red scarfs and some just wore a happy grin. Toy shops were overcrowded but it barely bothered her.

Her hours changed, but not for the better. She guessed that the saying "evil never takes a holiday" applied to murderers, too. She didn't mind too much, though. Castle seemed to be in the holiday spirit and almost everything he said nowadays made her laugh. Of course he called her non-stop at work. His excuse was that his kids were grown up and he was lonely all by himself in the "big scary loft". God, he was 70 years old and still a man-child.

She was retiring this year. They'd discussed it. Money wasn't a problem so she really could retire at any time she would like, but she liked working. Esposito and Ryan retired the previous year and that's when she decided that it was her time, too. Everyone she knew at the precinct left. She was all alone but she had trouble giving it up.

She wasn't sure why. Whether it dealt with the fact that once she retired, there was no chance of solving her mother's murder, or the fact that half of her life would be over, she wasn't sure.

It wasn't true, though. She had Alexis, her friends, Rick, and her little (well, not so little anymore) daughter, Charlotte. They were her life. Rick was half of it; the half that filled the emptiness that her mother's death caused, even after all these years.

When she thought of it like that, the thought of retirement didn't sound so bad. She'd get to spend more time reading and participating in activities related to her hobbies. Plus, the extra time with Castle wouldn't be so bad either.

The newly replaced elevator ride was quick. Now, on any other day, this would have been a great thing. But the quicker the elevator ride, the quicker Kate's job came to an end. It was silly, really. Relying on an elevator to make time slow and quicken. But nevertheless, it was true. This was her last trip to the 12th precinct. Officially, she was already retired. Her badge and gun had been turned in and she was no longer a cop. She came to the precinct to get everything from her desk. That was hard.

She fiddled with the fillings of the cardboard box she was holding as she made her way up to her desk. With heedful fingers, she picked up the timeworn elephants and one by one, put them into the box. With each object, a happy memory filled her mind. Each time she closed her eyes, hoping the memory would stay there forever. She never wanted to lose them. She put the box on the table, took a deep breath, and grabbed the arms on Castle's chair. Yes, he had stopped following her around long ago, but when he came in for lunches or just to visit, she always wanted his chair to be there for him. A few eyes followed her as she moved the chair back to its original place in the break room. They weren't quite aware of the reason why it was special, but they knew it was significant.

She said her good-byes and headed down the elevator from the 12th precinct one last time. Castle had offered to come with her, but she wanted to do this alone. She really had no idea why. Whatever the reason, she thought telling Castle she wanted to be alone was going to be a lot harder than it turned out to be. Maybe he knew the reason that she couldn't put her finger on.

She opened the door to the loft and the aroma of cookies filled her nose. As she stepped further into the room, she could hear the beat of Jingle Bell Rock coming from the kitchen. Expecting to see Castle, she turned the corner and was slightly surprised when she saw two heads of red hair.

"Alexis! James! I didn't know you were coming in so early!" Kate said as she set the full cardboard box on the counter.

Kate hugged Alexis. "Kate! Dad called American Airlines and got us an earlier flight. His excuse was that he was _lonely_."

"Oh god, that man." Kate looked at Alexis and smiled. She looked really good for 46.

"Grams, it's nice to see you, too." She turned around and saw James with a closed-mouth smile.

"Oh, James, you know I missed you." Kate brought him into a hug and messed up his hair with her fist.

"Hey!" He struggled from her grasp and began smoothing his hair back into place.

"Where's your brother?" Kate said, noticing the absence of the third ginger.

Before James could reply, a loud crash rang throughout the loft.

Castle shouted, "We're okay!"

Kate, Alexis, and James were already halfway up the stairs.

"Castle!"

"Matthew!"

"Grandpa!"

Alexis was the first to notice what had caused the crash. She covered her eyes with her naturally pale hand.

"Dad, please tell me that's not the lamp Susan gave you for Christmas last year," Alexis begged. Unfortunately she already knew the answer.

Kate peeked out from behind the corner. True enough to her speculations, the leg lamp laid shattered on the floor.

"Castle," she began. She tried to keep her voice steady, she really did. But in all honestly, she hated that lamp with a burning passion. Ever since last Christmas when Susan, Alexis's mother-in-law, gave it to Castle for joking about _A Christmas Story_, she'd wanted to kill it. Bury it. Done something that could have made it look like an accident-a fake accident-but an 'accident' nonetheless. She had to stifle a laugh before she was able to continue. "What happened?"

She could tell Castle was also trying to hide the accomplished look in his features. He wanted that lamp dead and gone as much as she did. She raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms, waiting for Castle's response.

"I, we, uh, I swear this was not on purpose!"

She transferred her glare from Castle to Matthew, who was slacked-jawed and scrambled for a story to cover up what they were actually doing. He definitely took after his grandfather. It looked like he would have found one if it wasn't for her glare. She wasn't actually mad, but where's the fun in telling them that? She always knew she could be a pretty good actress. It was Castle who finally spoke.

"I was teaching Mat here, uh-"

Alexis surprised both elders and cut him off. "Dad, save the story. I'm not the one that's going to tell her what happened to it when she asks to see where you put it. You have 20 minutes to come up with a better story than the one you were going to tell us."

"Bu-"

"No. I know you too well, Dad. Now, you are a mystery novelist. I have faith in you." She turned to Matthew. "Mat, help your gramps, please."

"Okay, Mom."

She turned around and began making her way down the stairs to finish her creation in the kitchen. James followed. Kate stayed, her back against the wall, and watched them with a smile on her face. After picking up a few of the bigger pieces from the broken lamp, he looked up and noticed her grin.

"What," he asked, curious as to why she was smiling at him when she should be scolding him.

"Nothing," she replied. It was obvious she was trying not to smile, and she knew it. She could tease, couldn't she? Sure, it wasn't sexual, but this was fun, too.

He handed Matthew the shards and used the floor for support to raise him up. Once standing, he clapped his hands together, removing the dust from the old lamp that had stuck to them.

"C'mon, tell me!"

She mentally laughed at his inability to leave things alone. "Well, Castle…" She looked down at Matthew, who was in the middle of sweeping the broken leg into the dust pan. She looked back at Castle, who was waiting for her to go on, so she did. "This," she extended her arm and panned the crime scene area and continued, "is so something you would do."

He smiled his brilliant smile- that one that extended to his ears. "I guess you're right. But, Kate? Don't think that I can't see how relieved you are that this thing is finally broken."

She smile dropped from her face. "How did you-"

"I guess when you're married to someone for 28 years, you notice certain things." A wink was sent her way.

"Oh, believe me, Rick, I know." She winked back and his grin flipped.

"Wait! Not fair! What things, Kate?"

Ignoring Castle's childish cry, she made her way down stairs and offered her help to Alexis. After being denied, Kate wandered into the living room. She noticed a few picture frames had fallen over. The ornaments looked like they had done that job. She strolled over and rearranged them. Being satisfied with their location, she walked over and took her place at the couch.

A few minutes passed when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it, Alexis," Kate said, not wanting Alexis to have to stop everything she was doing.

She opened the door and her daughter flew into her arms.

"Charlotte!"

"Mom!"

Kate buried her face into her daughter's golden brown hair and squeezed her tightly. After a minute, Kate put her at arm's length and took her in. Her hazel eyes were an exact replica of her own; her animated smile, charismatic. Gloves still covered the girl's hands, reminding Kate that there would be more time for catching up after she's unpacked and comfortable.

She let go and took the luggage from the doorframe and set it down close to the back of the couch.

"Lottie?"

Alexis's head popped out from behind the corner and she lit up. Her smile was large enough to deepen her barley-there wrinkles and show her pearly-white teeth. "Lottie!" She put the dough-covered whisk back into the bowl; licking off the mixture that had fallen on her fingers and ran across the room, straight into Charlotte's waiting arms.

"Alexis! Did mom and dad make you do all the cooking by yourself?" she asked as they let go from their embrace.

Alexis shrugged. "Eh, they helped earlier; just finishing off the dessert. Who would want dad's cookies?" Alexis and Charlotte both scrunched up their noses in agreement.

"Speaking of dad…where is he?" Charlotte asked, looking around for the grey-haired man.

It was Kate who answered, "He's with Mat picking up the lamp they broke."

Charlotte turned around, her jaw hanging open. "Please tell me it's not the leg lamp." She glanced back and forth between Alexis and Kate, who were both biting their lips, answering her question without words. "Oh god, does Susan know yet?"

Alexis replied, "No. She and Peter haven't gotten here yet. I came with the kids while Peter went to go pick her up."

Charlotte hummed in response. The chicken timer rang and Alexis sprinted back into the kitchen. She grabbed the pan of dough cookies with her oven mitt and placed them carefully into the oven. She shut the doors and pressed a few buttons before returning to her spot next to Charlotte.

Charlotte sighed and let the air slowly leave her lips, making them tremble.

"Long day of traveling?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, it was. I think I'm going to go unpack. I'll be back down in a little while. 'Kay?"

Kate smiled, nodded, and Alexis handed the girl her bag.

Kate's daughter hurried up the stairs. She heard her exchanging words with her father and her commenting on the lamp that they still must be working on.

Glancing at the clock, Kate estimated the amount of time they had before Alexis's Husband and Mother-in-law arrived. They would be here in an hour at the most.

They have an hour to prepare for Susan Green.

Oi vey


	2. Chapter 2

Alexis's feet tapped impatiently as she leaned against the counter. It was when her hands began to make a modern beat on the granite that Kate put her book face down and looked up at her.

Alexis noticed Kate's actions and blushed when she realized she was the source of annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I didn't realize I was doing that." Alexis sighed and clasped her hands together, preventing any other sorts of mischief they decide they want to get into.

"Don't worry about it," she replied. "Is there something bothering you, Alexis?"

The red head's eyes set on a kitchen appliance, wording the answer inside of her head. "You see," she began after a moment. "I haven't seen Lottie since last Christmas. And…"

"You missed her and you really want to go talk with her right now," Kate finished.

Alexis nodded her head. "Is that considered narcissistic of me?"

Kate laughed and slid off of the barstool. She crossed the opening to the kitchen and wrapped Alexis in a hug. She placed a gentle hand on her flames and she felt Alexis snuggle her head into the crook of her shoulder.

"Kate?" She murmured, her voice muffled my Kate's body.

She kissed the top of the girl's head and said, "I'm just glad you're happy-even after all these years- with this."

Alexis knew what Kate meant by "this". She didn't need to explain. "This", was the situation that gave Alexis a new family.

"Go. She could probably use your help unpacking."

Alexis smiled and bolted up the stairs. There's the 18-year old again, Kate thought, laughing.

Kate fiddled with things here and there. Charlotte and Alexis were busy, and Rick was teaching Mathew and James how to use his typewriter. So, in other words, they were occupied as well.

She was just about to grab down a Rubik's Cube when rounds of loud knocks filled the room. The hammer died down as Kate called through the door, telling the "visitors" that she was on her way. She opened the door and she sucked in a breath before plastered a smile on her face.

"Peter! Susan!" She took a luggage. "It's great to see you two again."

Peter began, "Its gr-"

"You know, Kate, I think you should get to the door a little bit faster. What if I had a heart attack out in the middle of the hallway and I was by myself? By the time you would have opened the door, I would have been dead!"

"I'll keep that in mind, Susan."

Kate took a look at the older women. She didn't change much since last year. Her reddish gold hair was in hot curler curls away from her face. The imperfections that came with age were covered with layers upon layers of makeup. You could say she's very cliché that way. Her blue eyes were covered with umbrellas of forest green and citrusy limes. Her cheeks were blanketed with a soft rose that bloomed when she smiled. Her lips were sketched with a dark red and fenced with a shade of maroon.

She heard different patterns of footsteps come from the stairs. They were all probably coming down. Probably a detective skill she'll never lose, she thought, making an inaudible sigh.

"Ah, now all the Weasleys are here!" Rick's voice carried through the entryway.

"Dad, you're still calling us that? Really?" Alexis followed soon after. Not waiting for an answer, she ran towards Peter. She murmured a quick "hello" to Susan on her way over. Peter planted a kiss on her lips and enveloped her into a hug. They parted and both Mathew and James exchanged a fair share of high-fives and fist bumps with their father.

"Hey, Peter. Susan. It's great seeing the both of you again!

"Charlotte? Is that you? I hope that residency program's doing you good. The bags under your eyes definitely show you've been working hard." Susan's heavy accented voice commented.

"Thanks, Susan." Charlotte said, knowing not to take her words to heart. She meant well. Everyone knew that.

With the boys' help, they made their present haul from the car to the loft in one trip. By the time they made it back, stomachs were growling and the perfume of the food became more and more tempting.

"Shall we eat?"

They sat at the long rectangular table they had bought for the holidays. When Alexis married Peter and had twins, they knew it was inevitable. It was nice, though. Its light maple color harmonized with the tones of orange and brown of the apartment.

The stuffed turkey sat in its traditional spot on the center of the table. Cheese was oozing out the sides and bright green asparagus peeked out in orderly rows under the meat. Mashed potatoes accompanied the main dish to the right; the gravy next to it in its special holiday china. On the left, an assortment of vegetables and other sides balanced out appearance of the tabletop.

"Cider or champagne?" Castle asked the table with the bottles in separate hands. After making his rounds and not being fooled by the two teenage boys on their drink choice, he took his place next to Kate and Charlotte.

His hand brushed Kate's knee. She glanced up and he smiled at her. His brilliant wrinkled smile that never failed to make her knees a little weak. He winked at her and looked back to the array of food on the table.

Silverware clanked in various patterns. A few minutes of comfortable silence filled the room before they broke into groups of small talk. Peter cleared his throat. Eyes looked up from their plates and Peter took Alexis's hand in his.

"So, as you all know, I work at the ULT Labs upstate. Well, they're expanding. For the past few months they've been building another lab in Portland." He took a breath and looked around.

Castle's face was stolid. Kate glanced at him, biting her lip. She saw a slight tear forming in his eye. He quickly blinked it away. Kate spoke up not wanting Castle to be tortured anymore. "Peter, continue or you'll kill the man."

Peter's smiling expression fell and his eyes widened when he realized what he was saying sounded like. "Oh, uh, we're not moving!" Kate saw Castle's posture loosen.

Alexis picked up where Peter left of. "The managers are moving to the lab in Portland. Peter was offered a promotion to make sure everything runs calmly in the lab Upstate."

Peter nodded and congratulations were spoken across the table. A soft "congrats" came from Charlotte, who was studying her mashed potatoes.

"Charlotte?"

"Lottie?"

She pushed out her chair. "Uh, excuse me for a minute." Leaving her chair out, she sprinted up the stairs, wiping a tear away with her sleeve.

Alexis was halfway up from her seat when Kate motioned her to sit back down. "I got it, Alexis." She hesitantly sat back down and looked at her husband. His arm rubbed comforting circles on her back and she relaxed into it.

Meanwhile, Kate went to the kitchen and grabbed a tall glass of eggnog before heading upstairs. She knocked softly on Charlotte's door. She heard a muffled "come in". Kate peered in and Charlotte was curled in a little ball lying on her bed. She looked so young. Kate sighed. Time sure did fly. She moved swiftly to the side of the bed that Charlotte faced and placed the eggnog on the side table. She saw Charlotte's lips crease into a small smile. The smile soon faded and she let out a gasp of air.

"Mom, look, I'm really sorry I just left. It's Christmas and I-"

Kate shushed her daughter.

"Cherry, you're forgiven. What's bothering you?"

Charlotte smiled at the old nickname and sat up, putting the wait of her body on her forearm.

"Did you see his face?"

Kate's brows furrowed. "Who's face?"

"Dad's." Kate's confusion was not minimized, so Charlotte continued. "Did you see dad's face when he thought Alexis and her family was going to move to Portland?"

Oh.

That.

Wait…

"Charlotte?"

Charlotte took a sip from the eggnog.

"Mom, I…I got a job…"

"That's great, Charlotte! Aren't you happy?" Kate shook her daughter a little on the arm.

"In Africa."

Kate's hand fell and she snaked it back into her lap. "Oh."

Charlotte's eyes were beginning to water. "He was so sad, Mom."

"Where would you be working in Africa?"

Charlotte sniffled. "Uh, in a newly built children's hospital off of the main one that I worked at last summer."

"That's great, Cherry! I'm so proud of you. Your father will be, too."

"But…"

"No buts. Of course he'll be sad. Hell, Charlotte, I'm sad, too. We're both going to miss you. You're our daughter."

Kate tucked a piece of her daughter's hair behind her ear and continued.

"I don't believe I've told you this before, but when I was pregnant with you, your dad wouldn't stop talking to you. He'd talk to you while we were eating, shopping, and I even caught him talking to you in the middle of the night when I was trying to sleep. I remember this because of the things he said to you. Charlotte, all he wants is for you to do what you want and what makes you happy. That's what I want for you as well. Same thing goes for Alexis."

Charlotte swallowed the lump in her throat and threw herself in her mother's arms. After a minute, they parted and Charlotte grabbed the eggnog with her shaking hands.

"How did you know eggnog makes me feel better when I'm sad?"

Kate's head tilted sideways. "Cherry. I am your mother. How dare you ask me such a question?"

Charlotte chucked into her glass and licked the drop off of the rim. A moment of comfortable silence filled the room. That moment ended as one of their stomachs reminded them of the time-maybe both of them.

"C'mon, sweetheart, we should probably be getting back. If you still don't believe me, I bet your dad wouldn't mind having this talk with you after dinner."

"Okay. And mom?"

Kate turned back.

Charlotte smiled and said, "I love you. Thank you."

The elder smiled with her eyes.

"I love you too, Kido."

They quietly took their seats and joined back into the light conversation that was flowing across the dinner table. Rick turned to Kate and she nodded her head. _Everything is okay_, it told him.

She repeated the same nodding motion to Alexis, Susan, and Peter. Charlotte, Mathew, and James were intensely involved in a conversation about the latest video game that had new graphics and levels. Although Kate wouldn't admit it, she was very intrigued by the new games and electronics that came out one after the other. Castle? He hadn't changed much. Still on top of the game when it came to electronics and software.

"You all are going to rot your brains with that crap."

"Grandma, we are not going to rot our brains out." Mat said, defending his hobby.

Susan's head dropped. "Don't argue with me, boy. Listen. Those silly games shorten your life span. You want to live longer, pick up a book for goodness sake."

"Mom."

"Don't 'mom' me, Peter. I'm only speaking because I want the best for my grandsons." Susan replied, defending her previous statement.

"We know you are. Thank you, Susan," Kate said.

"Thank you, dear Kate. Speaking of, I'm really interested to see where you put that lamp that I got you both last year," she said, gesturing to both Rick and Kate.

Kate folded her arms and turned her balance on Rick. She waited for an answer. He stood there, frozen. He looked like a kid who was caught stealing.

"Uh…"

Alexis exchanged a look with Peter, who then shared it with the boys. They couldn't decide if they should be worried, or on the verge of tears because of laughter.

Charlotte whispered into Mathew's ear, "This should be interesting."


	3. Chapter 3

Castle took a deep and slow breath before looking Susan straight in the eye. Clearing his throat, he began.

"You see, it was the middle of the night. I heard something upstairs and I went to go check it out. Being in the comatose state that I was, I inadvertently ran into the lamp. I tried to catch it, I did, but I couldn't grab it in enough time."

Susan looked at Castle with a displeased look on her face and summarized his words. "So you don't have the lamp anymore."

Rick ran his tongue over his bottom lip and glanced towards his not-so-helpful backup. Mathew forged a quick smile and shot his grandpa a small thumbs-up. Well that was encouraging.

"Um, yeah, it is. I'm really sorry. We-we liked it; Kate and I."

Breathing out, Castle stole another glance towards the rest of his family. This time, however, his eyes landed on Kate. She was smiling into the back of her hand. Her eyes were vaguely scrunched up in attempt to keep in what he thought was laughter.

A small chuckle escaped.

Okay, so it _was_ laughter.

Susan let out an elongated sigh. "That's too bad. Although, I knew something like this was bound to happen. Your legs are, after all, completely different sizes."

Castle's eyes grew wide and his face shot down, looking at his so-called irregular legs.

From behind him, Castle could hear his family giggling. Great, another thing to be used against him-like having two daughters and a wife ganging up on him all the time wasn't enough. This was just leverage.

Castle's face remained bright red as he and Susan bickered about his strange attributes.

"Susan, I think you're mistaking. I can see just fine. No glasses are need."

The elder lady sighed slowly, leaving the frown on her face. "Now, Rick, you're not young anymore. That's obvious. However, don't let your stubbornness land you in the hospital because you didn't see a car. Don't let your stubbornness get you sued because you stepped on someone else's dog because you thought it was a bush, okay?"

"Susan! Look-"

"I'm not the one that needs to look! Okay, here," Susan brought up her right hand and put two fingers down. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Castle buried his face in his hands and sighed. "Susan," he began.

Before either of them could say anything else, Peter took Susan by the hand and said, "Mom, I'm sure Rick will look into getting his eyesight checked, okay? Will you come help me set the table for dessert?"

Susan mumbled an 'okay', but not without stating that she was his mother and she taught him to set the table by himself.

"You know, Gramps, your legs do look a little uneven," Mat said, fist bumping James after receiving Rick's mocking glare.

He slowly schlepped himself over to Kate, who's poker face was impeccable. Leaning in, he whispered, "My legs are the same length."

Kate hummed a response and wrapped her right hand around Castle's waist. She felt Rick's arm snake its way around hers. Slowly, she leaned in herself and placed an unhurried and tender kiss on his lips. They parted and shared a smile.

Castle spoke softly, "You're laughing at me."

Kate raised her eyebrow. "How am I laughing at you?"

"On the inside you're laughing at me. I can feel it. It's a connection."

"Conjecture, Rick. There's no way you can know if I'm laughing at you."

Rick jumped back slightly. "Ha! You just admitted it!"

She crossed her arms. "In the eyes of whom? That doesn't count as admitting anything in any system I know, and I should know. I am a- was a cop," she stuttered.

Her face fell.

"Kate."

She looked back up at him; there was nothing but concern in his eyes. "I'm fine, Rick. I am, really. It's just…it's new and it's a change. I'll be fine."

The older man sighed and sailed across her eyes as if he was reading a book. It was mesmerizing seeing them trace along, their color so blue. Suddenly, his face scrunched up, protecting himself from the small pain inflicted upon him by his back. His hand immediately went to the arch and he leaned into it gently.

"Kate, I want to talk about this. I do, but, there was some truth to Susan Weasley's words. I am getting…old."

Kate's laughter warmed his ears. "Why do you call them that? They're not wizards, Rick. They're muggles."

"Ignoring the fact that what you just said was a total turn on, they're all red heads, why not address them as the Weasleys?"

Smiling, Kate grabbed Castle's hand and held it in hers while they walked to the couch for his 'aching back'. They dropped the topic of Kate's retirement knowing that it would be brought up at a later time. He stoked her hand, bringing his thumb back and forth repetitively. She sighed, and closing her eyes, she rested her head on the tip of Castle's broad shoulder. With his free hand, Castle began making free-formed shapes lightly on the Kate's back.

"Hey, Rick?" Kate murmured.

Castle turned his head to the side and carefully placed a small kiss on Kate's hair, not wanting to move her. "Yes?

"You're a relatively good poker player."

"Relatively?"

"Well, I am in the lead for number of games won."

"By two games!"

"You keep score?" she asked.

"Like you don't," he shot back.

Kate hid her smile into hit shirt. After it faded for the most part, she glanced up at him and admitted, "Touché."

"But, anyway, continue," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"That must mean that you have a pretty good poker face. I know you do."

Castle looked puzzled. "What exactly are you getting at, love?"

"Whatever Susan made for desert, pretend you like it. And don't play with it this time."

"I did not play with it last year!" he said, whining.

"The ice cream? You made it into soup, Rick. I'm surprised you didn't ask for a straw!"

"Didn't think of a straw, darn. And hey! Ice cream is amazing in soup form! It's like you're drinking a milkshake!"

"It was grape flavored, Rick."

He nodded his head quickly. "Yes, and I thought that if it was like a milkshake, it would taste better!"

"Did it work?"

He pursed his lips together. "No."

"My point is proven."

Kate sat up so that she could face her opponent. He, on the other hand, refused to look at her. Kate's eyebrow raised and her face remained smug. Castle let out the breath he had been holding and mumbled a quick, but definite 'fine'.

They sat in a few minutes of comfortable silence before a strange and overwhelming perfume filled the air. Castle inhaled and chocked a little.

"Kate, what's that smell?" he asked, taking many other little sniffs.

Kate glanced up at him, the innocent smile on her face. She brought herself up closer to his ear and whispered, "Poker face."

He immediately frowned and closed his eyes. "But Kate," he whined. "It smells like-"

"Dessert!" James shouted as the twins came down the stairs, although they could easily be mistaken for elephants. Alexis and Charlotte followed them, chatting about some current event.

The smell grew stronger with every step they took towards the kitchen. Kate and Alexis wandered over and helped Susan with the two desserts while Peter, Charlotte, Rick, and the twins took their seats.

"This looks unique, Susan, what is it?" Kate asked, examining the Tupperware-filled concoction.

"Maybe both you and Rick need glasses. It's ice cream, Kate." Susan said, accepting the large spoon that Alexis held out.

Kate traveled to the other side of the kitchen and grabbed a serving plate for the cookies while Alexis got the bowls. She turned around, switching the dishes with Alexis. With the platter, the younger red head plopped the cookies on the surface and covered them with a paper towel to keep them warm. Meanwhile, Kate ran the scoopers under warm water and tossed them in the Tupperware. Distributing the different treats among themselves, they walked back to the table and set them down accordingly. Kate made sure to put the ice cream right in front of Rick, knowing that everyone would insist he try it first.

"This looks really good, Susan. What-what is it, exactly?" Rick spoke, grabbing the spoon. He poked around at it gently, finding its soft spot.

"It's a mixture of lemon and chocolate." Susan answered, grabbing a napkin and dabbing the drop of tea off of her chin.

"Ah, sweet and sour, I get it. Very clever, Susan."

"You're stalling."

Castle was taken aback. "What?"

"I get it." Susan said, leaning back into her chair, her arm on the back of it. Castle remained silent, so she continued. "You know it's going to be very good and you're afraid that I'm going to judge you on the size of the portion you take."

"I've been telling him to watch his sugar intake, that old man." Kate interrupted, adjusting the bag in her tea.

"Hey!" Castle shouted, giving a death glare to Mathew and James, who were both laughing into their milk.

Peter blushed and Alexis patted him on the back lightly, assuring him that everything was fine.

Susan spoke up again and said, "No worries, Rick. I promise you that the ice cream won't affect and add on to that little extra belly you've got going on there."

Charlotte's hands ran to her mouth. She took many deep breaths before releasing them to insure she didn't and wasn't going to laugh.

Rick was shocked! He replied, "Hey! I'll have you know, I am in very good shape for my age."

"Whatever you say, darlin'."

Biting his lip, he grabbed the serving spoon and dug out a reasonable portion. He put a medium sized amount on his own spoon and shoved it in his mouth, forgetting what it actually was.

Oh god.

Brain freeze, was his first thought.

Lemon and chocolate do not go well together, was his next.

Brain freeze and two tastes that were very derogatory towards each other: Not a good combination.

He swallowed, licked around his teeth to get the excess taste out of his mouth, and quickly pressed his thumb to the roof of his mouth. He sighed as the cold pain dissolved. He glanced around the room to find all eyes on him.

"It's really good," he lied.

The twins dug into theirs, obviously not caring if it actually tasted good or not. It was ice cream.

The two plastic tubs of Susan's lemon and chocolate ice cream and Alexis's cookies made their way around the table. Each took a respectively large portion. That must have meant that Castle's poker face lacked.

They chatted randomly. Once in a while, someone would hide their sour face into their hand, but they did a good job of keeping it masked.

Charlotte swallowed the last of her raison cookie and washed it down with swig of her chamomile tea. She asked, "So, James, Mat, you guys liking school this year?"

Both of their hands simultaneously went up and covered their ears.

"Aunt Lottie! Don't talk about school when it is not in session!" Mat began.

"Yeah, that's gotta be braking some rule!" James finished.

Charlotte laughed. "In who's book?"

James gestured a question shrug with his arms and said, "I don't know, someone's!"

The talk died down and people began clearing the table. When Charlotte heard the water shut off, indicating that the last of the dishes were clean, she went over to her dad and whispered softly, "Hey, dad, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Of course," he said, getting up from his chair.

She took a deep breath and Rick exchanged a worried glance with Kate. She smile back and he nodded to himself. They made their way into his office.

* * *

><p>AN: Hi, guys. I'm sorry this took a little longer to get published than the other chapters, but some family issues came up and I just didn't feel like I could write. I apologize. Anyway, I'm not going to let that affect this story!<p>

I'll see you all later. Your reviews make my day. Love you all.

Until next time,

Maddie


	4. Chapter 4

"Dad?" Charlotte asked; her tone soft. Slowly, she moved her head slightly to the right, trying to get a better look at his face.

He was positioned on the side of her bed. His elbows rested on his knees, which in return, held his chin. He looked up and swallowed. Letting out his breath, he transferred his hand to Charlotte's knee and smiled genuinely. "Lots, that's amazing. I'm really happy for you."

Charlotte's eyes began to tear up; she blinked them away with a gin that reached her temples. Getting on her knees, she fell on top of Castle, enveloping him in a big bear hug.

Chuckling, he returned the affectionate gesture. After a minute Charlotte jumped back and covered her mouth with her hands. Resting her hands on her neck, she said excitedly, "I'm really happy, dad."

"I know, baby girl." The smile never left his face.

"I'm going to miss you guys, though." She said; her excitement dying down.

Castle snorted. "Please, Lottie. You're probably going to dance around the room because you can finally get far enough away from us."

Charlotte's jaw fell wide open. "Dad, I can't believe you would even think that!"

Rick shrugged. "I'm a writer; it's an occupational hazard to think of everything!"

The young brunette leaned against the wall with her face buried in her hands in attempt to cover up the ridiculous smile.

Giving the girl a light punch on the shoulder, he said, "Why don't we get back to the stimulating party?"

Charlotte nodded and Castle walked towards the door. "Dad?" He turned around.

"I love you," Said Charlotte.

He smiled, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and replied, "Love you, too, Sweetheart."

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Charlotte stood on her toes and pecked a kiss on Castle's cheek.

Noticing that everyone was busy-Susan and peter looked like they were involved in a confab, Mathew and James were involved in a serious game of Jenga (Charlotte had just joined), and Kate must be in the bathroom-he made way into his office.

He jumped back when he saw Kate typing on his computer. She glanced up and smiled. Now he was thoroughly confused. "Kate?" he asked.

"Yes?" she responded.

An awkward silence for Castle filled the room. It took a moment but he licked his lips and took a seat on the couch.

"What are you doin'?"

"Nothing," she replied nonchalantly.

"Okay."

"Okay." And with that, she left the room, leaving Castle by himself.

Now, there's only so much age changes a person. Castle, ignoring the cries of the once curious cat, swept over to the desk and opened the laptop. After entering the password, the word document popped and he was met with the bright blue-colored words. They read:

_**Castle,**_

_**You nosey being- Stop looking so sad, you have the posture of a feral cat. We'll talk about Charlotte later, but it's Christmas Eve; you of all people should know that. **_

_**-Kate**_

He couldn't help but laugh. God, he loved this woman.

He exited the word document and got up. He then pushed in his chair and shut the laptop, killing the bright blue light. Walking over, stole a quick glance at the small curtain that was draped carelessly across her present. Hidden in plain sight; not what you would expect from an author-especially him. It was perfect and guile. Smiling to himself, he turned off the lights and closed the door behind him.

The minute he walked into the other room, the sound of blocks falling and groans came from the dining room area. Treading over, he butted in, "See? There's still no way anyone can beat my high score at this game."

"Na-ah, gramps, I've so beaten you before!" James spit out.

"Oh please, I _own_ Jenga. In fact, I play it so well I could've been the person that made it up!" He shot back.

"You're certainly old enough to have." While expecting the snide remark to come from one of the boys, he was shocked to hear Alexis's voice.

Everyone erupted into laughter. He turned to look at the blushing red head, his mouth hanging wide open. She shrugged and bumped into his side teasingly.

"Face it, Castle, you walked right into that one." Kate said, clutching her stomach.

He nodded his head in a mocking response.

After the chuckles died down, Alexis told James and Mathew to get ready for bed. It was getting late. Susan went up as well, leaving Peter, Alexis, Rick, Kate, and Charlotte to settle in the living room.

Silence filled the area. It was comfortable, though-no elephants in sight. Peter was making circular motions of the back of Alexis's hand while she burrowed her head on his shoulder. A delicate smile took its place on her face. It made Kate smile. Rick was trying to hold back his. Charlotte sighed.

She had just gone through a bad break up a few months back. Her job required her. Her boyfriend at the time said she was cheating on him with it. She didn't disagree. Either way, it broke her heart. Charlotte was strong, though. And she didn't let it bother her after that.

Kate was afraid that Charlotte was too much like herself sometimes. She really didn't want her to build that wall that she had spent so much time breaking. She didn't want Charlotte to cover important things up with "I'm fines", like she once did -like she still does some of the time.

A large yawn escaped from her mouth and Kate brought a hand to cover it immediately. She blinked and her vision blurred. Well, it was time for bed.

Giving each person a quick kiss on the forehead, she said good night to everyone. Castle said he'd be right behind her when she reached down to give him her peck.

She made it about two feet before she reached their bedroom door until she paused. Slowly, she pivoted on her foot to face the office. She bit her lip and narrowed her eyes. Skimming the room, she looked for a sign. She told him no presents. She knew he wouldn't listen-she didn't. And she despised surprises.

She completed her trace at the other end of the room and grunted. Nothing. She could find…nothing. She was a detective for goodness sake! This should be a piece of cake.

That freaking man.

* * *

><p>AN: Hello again! I hope you enjoyed this small chapter! I promise, you're going to _love_ the next one. I hope I'll be able to update before I leave on my trip, but I'm not sure. I'll be gone from Saturday until Tuesday night, so we'll see.

Tell me what you thought! I love to smile.


	5. Chapter 5

The movement from the bed aroused her from her slumber. Her eyes remained closed, yet she could feel the sun seeping through her lids. Her head bobbled again, the bed creaked. She smiled into the warm arm her face laid against. Hearing a giggle, she extended her arm in search of the bodies she knew were there. Bumping into something, she adjusted her hand and tickled the unknown subject. No reaction. Alexis. She trailed her hand over to the next warm source. Repeating the motion, this one busted out into laughter. Subject B: Charlotte. She felt movement coming from her side and Charlotte's trill returned. She joined in until Charlotte shouted:

"Uncle, uncle! I give!"

Castle chuckled and Kate opened her eyes, revealing Alexis and Charlotte, both in their pajamas, sitting crisscrossed on the edge of the bed. Charlotte's face was red and Alexis's supported a giant smile. They turned towards each other. They took a deep breath, Castle as well, and smiled.

"It's Christmas!" the trio chorused.

Kate laughed and everyone made their way off of the bed. Alexis left the room to re-enter hers so Mat and James could keep their tradition alive as well. Charlotte dashed out of the room to go brush her teeth. Castle walked over to Kate and wrapped his arms around her. Resting his chin on the shoulder, he whispered in her ear.

"I have a surprise for you." His voice was smooth.

"Do you now?" she replied, quirking her eyebrow.

He hummed a response and intertwined his right hand with hers. He snaked his left across her waist and started a slow sway. She laughed into his shoulder, but mirrored the motion.

A minute passed and Castle kissed Kate's temple. "I need to get your surprise ready."

Kate groaned and said, "I don't like surprises."

Castle smiled as he made his way out of the room. "You'll like this one." He turned around after reaching the doorframe and winked.

* * *

><p>In the living room, a plethora of brightly colored paper lay wrapped around various shapes; some were stacked on one another. It was very much like what you would see in the movies. The green tree's lights were shining even brighter in the dim glow of the early morning.<p>

Alexis's sons were grasping onto the doorway, keeping themselves from running in and tearing the place apart. They were teenagers. Teens don't do that. When Kate noticed this, she laughed to herself, remembering the times where she thought the same thing. With a little tap on the back from Peter, they shot forward and plopped into the beanbags that lay circled around the area. Alexis and Charlotte followed, taking their seats in the sofa cushions that had been tossed on the floor. Still in the doorway, Castle took Kate's hand and bumped her shoulder, causing her to step further in the living room. Pursing her lips, she returned the motion and took her place on the couch. She heard Castle's low laugh as he invaded the space next to him.

"Where's Susan?" asked Alexis.

The group paused and silence filled the room; no one knew.

Before anyone could answer, Susan walked into the room, still in her sleepwear. She swiped at her eyes and stretched. She then said, "You know, I don't need that much beauty sleep," she turned and walked to an empty seat. All eyes were still on her. Alexis caught her eye. "You on the other hand," she added, drifting off, leaving Alexis surprised.

Everyone was still immensely engrossed in the short exchange when Susan looked up and asked, "What are you all waiting for?"

The crowd laughed, and eventually Susan joined in, but not willingly.

"James, here, this one's yours," Mathew said, handing him a red box with a gold bow. "Aunt Lottie, this is yours!"

After separating the presents, they all unwrapped the ones placed in front of them, each throwing the paper down on the floor.

'Oohs' and 'awes' filled the room. Many were little trinkets that made others smile.

"Lexi, this is beautiful. Thank you." Charlotte said, tracing one of the rocks on the bracelet Alexis gave her.

"Kate, Rick, I have your present," said Susan.

The pair glanced at each other. "Susan, you didn't need to."

"I _know_ that. Obviously. But I did anyway. It won't be as much use now as it could have been if it weren't for your two left feet, Richard."

Oh no.

As they unwrapped the box, a women's shoe caught their eye. But this shoe was connected to a leg. The rest of the box was reviled. The leg was connected to a table. That table was connected to a lamp.

Oh god.

"Susan! You got us another leg lamp, how…nice!" Kate's voice rang.

"I know how much you loved the other one, so I thought I would get you another one to match, but now that it's broken, this will just have to be a replacement."

Rick looked around. Everyone's faces were turning blue from containing their laughter.

"Thank you, Susan. It's great."

After hugs, Castle whispered in Kate's ear.

"It's not a leg lamp, Kate. It's the leg-that-won't-die-lamp!"

Kate shushed Castle and slapped his arm gently.

Many similar conversations took place after that. After opening her presents, Kate leaned against Castle's arm and relaxed.

"Would you like your present now?" he whispered.

She laughed slightly and replied, "Do I have a choice?"

He laughed. "No!" And he ran towards his office. He turned around and motioned for Kate to follow him. Kate excused herself from the group and met Castle at the door.

"_So it was in his office!"_ she thought to herself.

He grabbed her hand and slide into the room. Directing her to the couch, he let go and headed towards the foot of his desk. He picked up the curtain-covered object and brought it towards her. Handing it to her, a smile engraved his face. She took it with careful hands and stripped the present of its covering. Her eyes met a bright painting.

Across the canvas, shades of blue, yellow, and green filled the majority of the area. Black shapes dominated the right of the paining while the left remained airy and light with soft curves and pinks. Yellow flew across the center like the wind in a tornado, mixing everything in its path and stripping it of its darkness. Blue slashes zigzag down the center, creating depth. Flowers of all kinds were incorporated, yet were not the center of attention.

Kate lost her breath. It was beautiful. She looked up at Castle, not knowing what to say.

"This is a painting of you, Kate. It's your portrait through my eyes." He said, never looking away from her eyes.

"You're complex. You said so yourself, you're like an onion. But, instead of onions, I thought flowers would be much prettier. Flowers have multiple layers, each on more beautiful than the last. There are some black spots, mostly concentrated on the right side. You've had darkness in your life, but they're a part of you. They make you who you are. But the left, the left is the side of you with our kids, with our family, with me. Your smile is infectious. Whenever I see it, I just have to smile."

Kate remained silent, tracing the swirls with her hand.

"I love you, Kate. And I'll never stop saying it."

Kate's hand moved from the painting to Castle's check and she brought her lips up to his. They pulled apart and Kate hugged him. "Thank you, Rick. This…this…is something. I love you."

"Forever," he whispered.

"Too long," she replied, causing Castle to chuckle.

And in that moment she settled the uneasiness her mind laid upon her when she retired. Everything was going to be fine. Things change, they're bound to. The earth spins. Each second is new and different from the last. It's the leap that we are scared to take. Our fear is not in taking the jump, but in the way we will land. You don't know how secure you will be until you have already left the ground. But with this jump, comes new places to explore; a new land waiting to be seen.

For Kate, she took that jump with Castle's hand in hers. She let go of the familiar grass that kept her feet secure and settled into the new stage in her life. Everyone moves forward. Kate and Rick moved forward together. Like always.

The end.

* * *

><p>And that's a wrap for A Leg Lamp Tale. I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it. Thank you, guys.<p>

If you want to see what Kate's portrait looks like, I'll have it on my blog. (Link on my info thing.)

See you next time!

-Maddie


End file.
